Askew Road Stabbing

Forensics officers take photographs of crime scene

A man was stabbed in the Askew Cuts barber shop on the corner of Askew and Goldhawk Roads at around 6pm this evening according to witnesses and other sources I have spoken to at the scene. I am reliably informed that a weapon has been found and that the chief suspect for the stabbing has handed himself in at a police station and is now in custody.

Witnesses stood outside the scene told me of their shock at what they'd seen with one man, a resident on nearby Greenside Road, having seen what he described as a “gang of around a dozen or fourteen young men” who were banging on the window of the barber shop urging those inside to put hoods over their heads. The witnesses, who wanted to remain anonymous, told me that they were unsure intially what was going on and quickly left the area worried for their safety but then ventured out again when the police arrived. They were, and I spoke to three sets of them independently, visibly shaken and quite unsure of what to do with themselves. Several drifted off to a nearby pub.

Greenside Road sealed off for fingertip search

The gang of men banging on the window of the barber shop during the incident were described to me as both black and white with their ages estimated as being in their early twenties.

There is a very heavy police presence indeed and specialist forensics officers are scouring the scene, taking photographs of the shop and surrounding road. It is likely that a fingertip search will follow that so the disruption to traffic, which has calmed down after the initial response blocked the road, will continue for much of the evening.

Speaking to me on the scene the officer in charge of the investigation on the scene, who I took to be CID since he was in plain clothes, told me the Police were unable to officially confirm or deny the facts I have reported but I am confident of both the witness accounts, since I had three which independently corroborated each other, to report the above.

Police incident team manage early criminal investigation

I would anticipate the official version coming to me shortly which I will also share.

For the time being, stay safe – I've never actually known an incident like that in that particular part of W12 and despite the inevitable sensationalism that this sort of thing is sometimes reported with it is still a very unusual thing to happen. And having accompanied our Police on their work I can vouch for how good they are. The last major incident like this was the murder of Jaabe Roberts a bit further up the Askew Road back in June 2010 - the area has moved on significantly since then, but sadly it seems not enough.

0730 SUNDAY UPDATE - I understand the victim was stabbed in the torso and that his injuries are 'serious' but not life threatening. He remains in hospital. The official police account of the incident is still yet to be published. Which is not great. 

1200 SUNDAY UPDATE - The police have just given me the below statement:

"Police were asked to attend an incident at Seven Stars Corner which is on Goldhawk Road at its junction with Paddenswick Road where approximately 10 males were believed to be fighting. Police units arrived at 1906 and were directed to a Barbers Shop at 256A Goldhawk Road, W12 and found the victim, a 24 year old black male from W12, with wounds to his abdomen and left lower and upper arm. He was taken to a local hospital and following an operation his condition was described as not life-threatening. At 1921 Greenslade Road at the junction with Goldhawk Road was closed up to Leysfield Road and buses were prevented from turning right from Paddenswick Road. A male was arrested at Shepherds Bush Police Station a short time later and interviewed regarding this matter, he has not been charged at this time. The Crime scene was closed at 1529 on the 24th"